Doll.



A. H. BUTLER. DOLL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1910.

1,053,902, Patented Feb. 18,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,. WASHINGTON. D. c.

A. H. BUTLER.

DOLL.

APPLIQATION FILED APB..18, 1910.

. Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLummA PLANOGRAPH c9. WASHINGTON n. c:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALICE HARDING BUTLER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

DOLL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALICE H. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at shall be more rotund and natural in shape and in the movement of the limbs thereof, thus more closely approximating the form of the human body or the human baby than dolls heretofore produced.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a doll of the class described an improved means for flexibly joining the limbs to the body thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a doll of the class described an improved means for oining the lower limbs in particular to the body thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a doll of the character clescribed improved guide charts or patterns by which the material, such as cloth and the like, may be accurately and rapidly cut for producing, when assembled, and properly united, the body of a doll of the character described.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of certain other new and useful objects, which will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, described with greater particularity in the following portion of this specification, and as finally set forth more specifically in the appended claims.

In the said drawings-Figures 1 and '2 are respectively front and rear views of the body of my improved doll, the head thereof not being shown, as it is attached in the ordinary way and forms no part of the present invention. In Fig. 1 the pivotal movement of the lower limbs is indicated by the outline of the limbs shown in dotted lines. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 respectively illustrate the outline of the patterns or sheets by which the cloth or like material may be out before being assembled in forming the body of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 18,

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

,1910. Serial No. 556,208.

tiny improved doll. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view through one of the oints of the lower limbs, showing the preferred manner of forming these joints.

In practising the invention it is not material as to the character of clot-h used and any suitable firm goods may be employed and out after the shape indicated'by the patterns in Figs. 3 to 5 respectively. In forming the body of the doll as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, two portions of each of the patterns illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 respectively are used forming the torso or body only of the doll. This of course is eX- clusive of the arms which form no part of the present invention and these may be formed by cut-ting the cloth in the manner indicated or in any other desired and suitable manner.

The pattern shown in Fig. 3 is indicated by the reference characters 10 and 11 and is preferably, although not necessarily, cut integral as indicated and afterward severed along the broken line indicated by the reference character 12. Also, as stated, in each torso or body, two of the ,complete patterns illustrated in Fig. 4 are employed as indicated by the reference characters 13 and 14; and these parts are preferably, although not necessarily, cut integral as illustrated in Fig. 1 and afterward divided along the broken line 15 just as in the pattern indicated in Fig. 3 for the purpose of forming the joint between the lower limbs and the body. Likewise two portions of the pattern illustrated in Fig. 5 are employed in each torso, the same being indicated by the reference character 16. It will be seen that these port-ions 16 form the breast or front of the doll body and they are duplicates in form and may be assembled in the manner indicated in Fig. 1 either by reversing one of the portions 16, or, what amounts to the same thing, reversing the pattern in cutting. The same is also true of the patterns illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4; and in Figs. 1 and 2 showing the assembled doll, the reference characters applied to the patterns are used to indicate the same portions of the doll body, including the reference characters 12 and 15 designatbetween the lower limbs and the body or torso.

The clot-h for forming the torso or body ing the line of cleavage forming the joint when. out as indicated in patterns 3 to 5 respectively, there being two of each of the said patterns, may be joined together-by suitable stitching of any desired character; and, in substantially the form illustrated in said patterns, will produce the body or torso of the doll of the improved natural and rotund shape illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Any suitable material for padding or stuffing the body or torso may be employed, such as cotton or any form of vegetable fiber as ordinarily employed for such purposes. In assembling the patterns for forming the torso no change in the forms indicated is necessary except that it is found desirable to insert a dart at the top of the pattern 10 as indicated at 20. This may be done by cutting the cloth along the line indicated by the reference character 20 and removing a triangular piece of the goods to assist in closing the torso at the top which is usually the last feature of the operation of forming the torso and when this seam is closed it is usually preferred that it be inserted about as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the usual form of porcelain or other com mon form of doll head is attached it may in whole or in part cover these upper and final seams in closing up the body.

One of the special features of my invention is the manner of forming the joint connecting the lower limbs to the body or torso, the details of this improved joint being illustrated by the sectional view in Fig. 6. In forming this improved joint the patterns illustrated in Figs. 3 and t are severed along the lines 12 and 15 respectively. I then preferably take two disks approximately circular in form of card board or other similar firm and stifi material as indicated by the reference character 25. Two of these are employed in each joint to close the severed portions of each of the lower limbs, and in attaching the same they are preferably covered each with cloth, as indicated at 26, so that they present to each other, when assembled, smooth surfaces and raw or unsewed edges of the cloth as indicated at 27 This cloth 26 covering the disk 25 may be held in position on the disks during the assembling operation by basting threads or even adhesive. These cloth covered disks 26 are sewed to the torso covering the openings formed along the lines of cleavage 12 and 15 in the manner indicated in Fig. 6, the points of attachment being indicated approximately by the reference characters 12 and 15 applied to this figure to indicate the plane of the joint, which also indicate the lines of cleavage in Figs. 3 and 4:.

It is one of the special purposes of the invention to form a flexible pivotal joint at the point of attachment of the lower limbs to the torso or body of the doll and to accomplish this purpose any suitable pivot pin may be used. to connect the two cloth covered disks 26 but I preferably employ as a simple and inexpensive method of forming this joint a cotter pin 28 which is passed through both disks and having its divided ends separated or spread to secure the parts together as indicated at 29.

It is one of the special features of the in vention that this joint between the lower limbs and torso or body shall be formed so that the plane of the joint shall be at an acute angle to the longitudinal axes of the lower limbs. In practice it is preferred that the plane of this joint be approximately at an angle of 15 to the longitudinal axes of these lower limbs which is substantially as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and enables the lower limbs when flexed on the torso or body portion to have a natural pivotal movement and also at the same time to spread somewhat, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. This natural movement of the lower limbs enables this inanimate imitation of a human baby to be placed in a secure sitting posture and in a position in which it will remain without assistance, which has not heretofore been true of dolls constructed with common pivotal joints in which the pivotal axis has heretofore been either at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the lower limbs or as in some cases has coincided with the longitudinal axes of these limbs.

It will be seen that by the construction described and as illustrated in detail in the sectional view in F ig. 6 a very practical construction for a pivotal joint is secured and that such a joint may conveniently be adapted for use in securing the arms of my improved doll to the body portion, the said arms being indicated by the reference character 30. While this form of joint is preferred for attaching the arms to the body portion it is not so essential that it be employed as in the joining of the lower limbs to the body portion in the specific manner heretofore described. For the purpose of attaching the arms to the body portion it is convenient to remove from the pattern of the material shown in Fig. 3 and indicated by the reference character 10 an approximately circular portion of the material as indicated by the reference character 31. Into this circular opening 31 the cloth covered disks similar to those indicated in Fig. 6 may be inserted and sewed into position and to them the arms 30 may be secured by suitable cotter pins 28 passing through similar cloth covered disks secured in a similar manner to the upper extremities of the arms 30.

In order that the invention might be fully understood the details of the preferred embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described but it is not desired to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described and it will be apparent that many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the purpose and spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A dollhaving a body port-ion and legs rigidly secured thereto, there being pivotal joints in said legs remote from the body port-ion.

2. A doll having a body portion and legs rigidly secured thereto, there being pivotal joints in said legs remote from the body portion, the axes of said pivotal joints extending at an angle to the longitudinal axes of the legs.

3. A doll having a body portion and. legs rigidly secured thereto, said legs being divided by a plane of cleavage remote from the body portion, the said plane of cleavage extending at an acute angle to the longitudinal axes of the legs, and a pivotal connection joining the said divided portions of the legs.

4. A doll having a body portion formed of a plurality of suitably cut pieces of flexible fabric joined togther and provided with suitable padding on the interior thereof and legs rigidly secured to the said body portion, there being pivotal joints in said legs remote from the body portion, said joints being formed by planes of cleavage severing said legs along downwardly converging planes, and pivotal means connecting the said divided portions of the legs.

5. A doll having a body portion and legs rigidly secured thereto, there being pivotal joints wholly within said legs, the axes of which extend at an angle to the longitudinal axes of the legs.

6. A doll having a body portion and legs rigidly secured thereto, said legs being divided by a plane of cleavage extending at an acute angle to'tlie longitudinal axes of the legs, and a pivotal connection joining the said divided portions of the legs.

7. A doll having a body portion formed of a plurality of suitably cut pieces of flexible fabric joined together and provided with suitable padding on the interior thereof and legs rigidly secured to the said body portion, there being pivotal joints in said legs remote from the body portion, said joints being formed by planes of cleavage severing said legs along downwardly convering planes, disks of rigid material secured to the flexible fabric in the planes of cleavage in said legs, and pivotal means connecting the said disks of rigid material.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 13th day of April A. D. 1910.

ALICE HARDING BUTLER.

Witnesses:

BESSIE KAICHEN, M. W. CANTWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

